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<title>Outside the Box by AvengersCompound (emilyevanston)</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24161884">Outside the Box</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/emilyevanston/pseuds/AvengersCompound'>AvengersCompound (emilyevanston)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Incredible Hulk (2008), Thor (Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bruce Banner Bingo 2019, Cooking, Established Relationship, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Intimacy, Multi, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Polyamory</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 20:54:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>618</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24161884</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/emilyevanston/pseuds/AvengersCompound</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>There is no reason why you, Bruce, and Brunnhilde should work, but you do and that’s all that matters.</p><p><b>@brucebannerbingo Square: </b>  - E5 Brunnhilde/Valkyrie</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bruce Banner/Brunnhilde | Valkyrie/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Bruce Banner Bingo 2019</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Outside the Box</h2></a>
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</p><p>The soft purring sound Bruce made as your fingers ran over his scalp and combed out the soft curls always touched a special place inside you.  It was hard to hear over the noise Brunnhilde made as she tried to work out how the oven worked, but you could hear it.  It added to that soft content feeling you had.  Where everything was in its place and you felt comfortable and at home.</p><p>Love isn’t easy to explain.  There’s no handbook to tell you exactly how you were supposed to feel it or express it.  There was no cup you could pour it into and measure it.  No vessel to fill that when you’d received the correct allocation of love the lid was put on and you required no more to sustain you.  There was no manual that said that you could only fall in love with someone if they fit a specific and exact mold and no one else.</p><p>People talk about types and soulmates and finding you one true love.  Society says that there is just one way to do things.  One cookie-cutter way to live your life.  Man and wife.  Two-point-three kids.  But what works for one person won’t always work for the rest and your greedy heart was not content with just the man, you needed the wife as well.</p><p>Bruce and Brunnhilde were as different as you could get and yet you loved them more fiercely than you had ever imagined you were capable of.  Nervous and excitable Bruce with his self-doubt and dad jokes, who hated saying yes without weighing up the consequences but hated saying no even more contrasted against the strong, snarky, Brunnhilde who always knew exactly what she wanted, even if what she wanted was a beer.</p><p>There was no box that fit the three of you.  No puzzle that you could solve using each of you as pieces.  And yet, it worked anyway.  They loved you and they loved each other.  So if you needed to be patient and careful with Bruce while balancing being wild and carefree with Brunnhilde, that was okay.  They were worth it. They loved you and they loved each other and it worked.</p><p>“Can one of you please help me with this!”  Brunnhilde called.  “I have no idea what I’m doing.”</p><p>Bruce looked up at you.  “Better go help her before she starts breaking things.”</p><p>You laughed and let him up, pulled yourself to your feet, and followed Bruce into the kitchen.  It was completely trashed.  Pots and pans were everywhere, as were cuts of meat, vegetables, and just about every seasoning the three of you owned.</p><p>“And I thought I couldn’t cook,” Bruce teased.</p><p>“I should be able to do this,” she cried. “I lead battles into army on winged steeds.  This is mere housework.”</p><p>“They’re a slightly different skill set, honey,” you soothed.</p><p>“Don’t talk down to me!” She cried, waving a knife around.  “If I could understand these primitive Midgardian instruments I would have this done already.  But will either of you help?  No. You just laze about fondling each other.”</p><p>You bit back a laugh and approached her, taking the knife from her hand.  “How about we help you now?” You asked.  “You cut.  Bruce can season.  I’ll work the Midgardian instruments.  Then while it’s all cooking we can all fondle each other.”</p><p>“Good,” she agreed.  “And I get to be in the middle.”</p><p>“Of course you do, angry girl,” Bruce said.</p><p>She smiled at the old nickname and ruffled his hair and the three of you went to work preparing the dinner.  Working not as one, but as three separate entities that chose each other and worked regardless.</p>
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